Baby Blue
by littlesheep
Summary: Spin-off to "Picking Up The Pieces" - my alternate version of "Officer Blue". What if the shot on the officer on the horse had only been a diversionary tactic and the real target was someone else? StellaMac. Complete! Rating changed for finale. SMacked.
1. Chapter 1

This is a spin-off of my episode-based story "Picking up the Pieces" – my version of "Officer Blue". I had this started years ago, long before even thinking about writing something to each episode and it was planned to be a multi-chapter story from the beginning. It's one of those that my heart is really much attached to, therefore the name of the story – "Baby" Blue.

The song in this story is "Through the Eyes of a Child" by Raemonn. Regular readers might remember this name, that's the same German band that also did "Tonight". The song that inspired me for my very first finished (not first posted) story with the same name. I had another song planned for this story here, but when I heard the Raemonn song on the radio for the first time, it just hit me – just like with "Tonight" back then – and I just knew: THIS is IT! It was just a perfect match, you'll see why. The song will only appear at the end of the third and mainly in the fourth chapter, I strongly recommend looking for it, it's great! And important for the atmosphere of the story. You can find it in my profile :-) If this is working, I will do this with each important song from now on.

Author's Note: The story contains an original scene quoted from the actual episode (just because this one is one of my very favorite Stella scenes) for which of course I don't take any credit. I just love it! One of the better ideas that the writers had ;-)

Thanks to Mitch for previewing as usual - he said it might be one of the (if not THE) best I've done so far - I hope you agree *g*

**Disclaimer**: All the original characters belong to their owners - except for Mac. **Mac belongs to Stella**.

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_Chapter One_

Stella was foaming with anger.

Anger about Mac, who didn't seem to care about the ongoing investigation and instead seemed to be more interested in saving a horse. Not that she had anything against horses in general or this one in particular. Absolutely not. But for her, the job had first priority and she was honestly wondering about Mac in this matter.

Usually he was the one who asked for two hundred percent focus on the job, no room for personal feelings in the line of duty. That was the Mac Taylor she knew. Even more since he had lost his beloved wife several years ago. Ever since then, he had become reserved, almost embittered. He didn't seem to allow himself any kind of diversion, no display of personal feelings, let alone pleasure.

And now?

One short visit of District Attorney Tom Midford with a request – no, not a request. It hadn't been more than a possible favor Midford had asked for. He had asked for a postponement of the horse's operation – and with that a delay of the extraction of the bullet that was evidence in the shooting of an NYPD officer who got killed while sitting on this very horse.

All this to allow the widow of an officer who had died in the line of duty, Officer Don Como, and his daughter, to see the horse they had donated after their husband's and father's death - in case the horse wouldn't make it through the surgery.

Mac had agreed.

Stella wasn't coldhearted or callous. Not at all. She loved animals, horses in particular and she sympathized with this poor creature who had suffered from massive abrasions, contusions and lacerations when it had collided with the cab on its flight after the shooting.

But this wasn't about the horse. Or about the people who had donated the horse. This was about an officer who had been killed and possibly about a sniper who was out there somewhere, maybe waiting for his next random victim. They had a job to do, it was their obligation towards the people of this city to find whoever did this before he struck again. If he intended to do so.

Was it a cop killer or someone who would aim at anyone - disregarding profession, age, gender and race? Or was it a professional hit with Officer Velasquez as the only target?

She didn't care, all she knew was that this psycho had to be caught. Fast. Otherwise they would soon encounter an enormous amount of pressure from all sides. Public, press, police commissioner, mayor's office…

And in that case, it wasn't just Mac's reputation and job on the line – it was the entire team's.

XXXXX

After she had searched the suspect's apartment and as expected had found the weapon she had been looking for, Stella had returned to the lab and assembled it successfully. Her fury had turned into a feeling of self-satisfaction about being in the right.

She resolutely walked over to Mac's office, opened the door, walked over to his desk, the rifle in her hands and stopped right in front of his desk. He looked up in surprise.

Without giving him a chance to say anything, she fired off her speech.

"Service-issued semi-automatic gas-operated shoulder-fired rifle, capable magazine capacity 5 to 40 rounds."

Stella smashed the magazine on the desk in front of Mac.

"Brown left the rifle unmodified -" she pulled the security lock "– it's ready for fire. All we need now … is a bullet to compare it to. In 'Stella-talk': It's time to get the bullet out of the horse, Mac!"

She slammed the rifle onto his desk, next to the magazine, and glared at him.

"End of conversation!" she announced firmly, quoting him from their previous encounter when he had cut her off with exactly the same words.

She hadn't forgotten how he had he had almost lashed her, giving her the feeling she needed to be told how to do her job right, like a rookie who didn't know better.

Without waiting for his reaction, she turned around and left the office.

XXXXX

One hour later, Stella opened the door to her apartment, threw her bag next to the wardrobe and her coat over the chair next to the door. She hadn't seen Mac after her outburst in his office, but she had heard that he had talked to the vet who had told him that they would operate the horse the next day. She knew they would go to the animal clinic together and that things would be okay between them again by then.

It had always been like this. They would disagree, argue, sometimes fight about things and moments later everything was good again. Like sunshine and rainbows after a hard, cleansing rain. There was no need for big apologies, their arguments and fights always and solely remained on a professional level. Never did things get personal and violate the other one's feelings. Tomorrow, it would all be good again. For today, she couldn't care less. Little did she know how drastically she would have to change her mind within seconds.

With a sigh she dropped herself on the couch - only to jump up again the same moment.

_Damn it!_

She reluctantly went over to the wardrobe and reached for her bag to get her ringing cell phone. After a look at the display, she rolled her eyes.

_Gimme a break…_

"This'd better be an emergency, Messer!" she said with a warning tone in her voice.

All she wanted now was a nice relaxing bubble bath with some trashy book and forget about the rest of the world. And about Mac.

"Danny, I had a rough day. I just got home and there is _nothing_ you can tell me that will make me leave my apartment again before tomorrow in the morning…" she started without a stop to breath, leaving him no chance to say a word at first. "And don't start telling me Mac asked you to call me back in because I'm not coming."

"I… I don't know how to tell you this… It's Mac, Stella. He's been shot…" Danny stammered. Shock, fear and disbelief evident from the tone in his voice. "I'm at the hospital, they are treating him in the ER right now. You better get over here right away, I don't know…"

Stella felt her knees getting weak. The sound of Danny's voice echoed in her head. Only fragments of what he had said seemed to have reached her cerebral center.

And those fragments scared her to death.

_Mac… Shot… Hospital…_

TBC

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**This is mostly the introduction to get things going, from here most things will go my way. I'm VERY excited about this one, hope you stay with me here. Story IS finished, update will follow as soon as I feel encouraged enough to post ;-) Let me know what you think, please! In the meantime maybe check out the recently posted and not pre-announced "In a New York Minute". Thanks a lot for all the nice comments, alerts and PMs in the past - love you all :-)**

**xxxlittlesheepxxx  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**You are SO cute, thanks again to everyone who reviewed - also to those who reviewed "anonymously" so that I couldn't reply personally :-) I was really impressed by the reactions to the first chapter which I considered a little slow myself.**

**I hope you like the next ones even more - I think they are getting better from now on. Please read and review - thanks!**

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_Chapter Two_

After getting to the hospital in half the time one would normally need, Stella stormed to the reception desk in the Emergency Room department. When she tried to get information from the woman behind the counter, Danny spotted her and called her over.

"Stella! Over here…"

Stella spun around and hastened over to him, her heart pounding from panic.

"Danny…" she called out of breath. "What happened?!? How is Mac??"

"Mac's in surgery. Bullet hit him in the right lower abdomen," Danny pointed to his right side, showing the approximate position of the impact. "Lost a lot of blood, they stabilized him in the ER and are trying to remove the bullet now. Doctors said he got lucky, looks critical but could be worse."

Stella felt her knees trembling, her head swirled. Danny gestured to a group of chairs in the waiting area.

"Wanna sit down for a moment?"

Stella nodded wordlessly.

"Mac Taylor?" a young man in a doctor's overall called out.

Stella jumped up and looked at Danny.

"I'm gonna stay here with Mac, can you go and check what the investigation about the shooting is bringing up?" she asked.

"Sure thing. I'll keep you posted," Danny nodded and turned to leave. "Tell him to keep his chin up, will ya? And you, too, you hear me?"

Stella nodded again, then turned around and walked towards the young man, apparently a first year resident on his ER rotation.

"I'm Dr. Fields," the man introduced himself. "You are Mrs. Taylor?"

"Stella Bonasera," Stella replied. "I'm Detective Taylor's partner. He doesn't have family around here. Can you tell me anything? How is he doing? How bad is the injury? How long will surgery take? Will he be recovering soon?" she shot questions at her vis-à-vis.

"Detective Taylor is out of surgery and will be in his room in the ICU soon. I can take you there so you can talk to Dr. Manning who performed the operation. He will be able to answer all your questions," Dr. Fields smiled sympathetically at her.

"Thank you," Stella returned and followed him through the long hospital corridors on the way to the Intensive Care Unit.

Fields led her to the corridor where Mac's room was and asked her to wait for Dr. Manning. He or a nurse would come by soon to talk to her. Stella thanked him and took a seat, knees still trembling, hands shaking and cold as ice. Nervously she observed her surroundings, almost jumping at each unexpected sound or voice.

When a rigorous looking woman in a nurse's uniform neared the room where Mac was supposed to be, Stella got up. The nurse eyed her with suspicion.

"You can't go in there!" she bellowed before Stella was even close enough to show an attempt to enter the room.

"Excuse me, are you taking care of Detective Taylor?" Stella asked, too caught up in her fear about Mac to react to the impolite opening. "I'm his partner, Detective Bonasera. Can you tell me anything abou—"

"Information about patients must only be given to family members," the nurse informed her in a cold, self-contained voice. "If you excuse me, I have patients to take care of."

With that, she wanted to turn away, pressing a clipboard with medical data to her chest.

"Damn it!" Stella called, finally freeing herself from the grip of anxiety. "It won't kill you if you showed at least some sympathy for people who worry about one of your patients. Screw family relations or not. The least you could do is to tell me how he is doing and when I can talk to a doctor who is allowed to give me more information."

The nurse glowered at her, narrowed her eyes even more and turned around without a word. From the inside of Mac's room, Stella heard an exchange of words, but only the nurse's voice was loud enough to be identified.

Was it Mac who was talking with her? Was he conscious and already able to talk again? Or was there someone else in the room with them?

She couldn't understand what they were talking about. Then the door opened again and the last thing Stella could understand was the nurse saying "I said 'No!' and that's it!". With that, she left the room and headed to the nurse's room without giving Stella a second look.

Seconds later, an alarm went off and the light above the door to Mac's room went red and started blinking.

Stella froze.

Her throat tightened, her stomach wanted to burst. Within moments another nurse and a doctor headed to the room and closed the door behind them. The nurse came out again right away. Before Stella could ask her what was going on, the doctor followed her and looked around. Spotting Stella, he came closer. She was close to faint from panic, but he seemed rather amused.

"Are you Stella?" he asked her.

"I am," Stella confirmed in a low voice. Her throat made her feel as if she had to throw up once she would try to speak normally. She looked at the man facing her, worried immediately. "Is something wrong?"

"No, no, not at all," he smiled reassuringly. "We've been hoping you would show up soon. See, while he was being prepared in the OR, Detective Taylor kept whispering your name over and over again and wouldn't stop. He said we would have to find you, he would need to see you, he had to talk to you… The anesthesiologist already thought he was giving him the wrong drugs."

"Oh…" Stella said, her heart still beating faster, just for different reasons now. "He did?"

The doctor nodded. "I'm Dr. Manning, I did the surgery on Detective Taylor."

"How did it go?" Stella asked anxiously.

"He lost a lot of blood, but he's in good health and it shouldn't take long to recover from that. The bullet perforated his right lung, but we were able to fix that without complications. He will have to stay in ICU over night, just for surveillance. I think we can transfer him to a normal bed tomorrow and release him within a couple of days. Injuries like this are very serious and critical in the beginning and could easily turn out fatally, but once treated, recovery is usually no problem. He's a lucky man," he finished his explanations.

"Can I see him?" Stella wanted to know, relief causing her eyes to fill with tears. She blinked them back, her lips pressed together to stop them from trembling.

"You can't just see him, you will _have _to see him," Dr. Manning replied. When he noticed Stella's puzzled look, he added "Detective Taylor must have heard you were here and when the senior nursing officer refused to let him see you, he pressed the alarm button. We are having enough adrenaline kicks here, so I think it's better for everyone if you just go in and visit him."

"Thanks, Dr. Manning," Stella smiled for the first time since she had arrived at the hospital.

XXXXX

Mac's face had the color of the white sheets, maybe even whiter. Bags with fluids where hanging from an IV tree next to the bed, a tube for extra oxygen supply was running from his nose, but he was breathing on his own. Stella's knees got weak at the sight of him.

"How many people did you kill on your way here?" he weakly asked after she had closed the door. His voice still drowsy from the drugs they had given him, his eyes half closed, trying to focus on her.

"What?" Stella was too confused to make sense of his words.

The enormous relief she felt upon hearing his voice was overwhelmed by an even more intense feeling of mixed emotions that she couldn't clearly identify yet.

"On the street. You must have flown here in record speed," Mac mumbled in return. "And the nurse from the dark side didn't look happy after your little encounter out there…"

"Are you insane? I'm scared to death and you are making jokes here?" Stella called out.

"Whoa, easy…" he defended himself, trying to lift his hand in a defensive gesture. Then with a weak, boyish smile "Doc said I need rest, you shouldn't shout at me like this…"

Stella grimaced at him and turned around to hide her face. After a moment, he noticed that she was slightly trembling. When she turned around again, her eyes were clouded with tears.

"When I got Danny's call, telling me you got shot and were at the hospital, I…" she couldn't continue to speak.

"I'll be fine," he softly said.

"Yeah, NOW I know that," she whispered, barely audible. "How are you feeling?"

Mac hated hospitals. Especially seeing them from a patient's point of view. He tried to move, but quickly let it go because of a stabbing pain in his chest.

Stella quickly headed over to the bed and helped him to sit slightly more upright by stuffing a pillow behind his back.

"I've been worse," he grimaced. "When can I go home?"

"Yeah right… Mac, the bullet perforated your right lung, they had to re-inflate it… You won't be going anywhere soon," Stella tried to adjust his view regarding his health status.

Mac could see the concern and fear in her face. Stella's eyes burned him more than the bullet wound in his side. He gathered all his energy together and reached for her right hand.

"I'm so sorry…" he whispered quietly.

"What?" For a moment Stella thought she had heard him wrong. "For what are you sorry? For getting yourself shot?"

"For scaring you like this…"

"Don't be stupid, Mac…" she almost sobbed. "You need to rest now, I'm gonna –"

"Please, don't go…"

Stella pressed her lips together. The argument, the anger, all was forgotten. She knew she could have lost him and now she would do anything to make him feel better soon.

"I'll stay here with you, don't worry. Try to get some sleep, let me know if you need anything. That is, unless you prefer "Nurseferatu" to take care of you of course," she smiled at him, gently pulling her hand from his grip.

Mac slightly rolled his eyes and lay back on his pillow while Stella pulled a chair from the corner of the room, positioning it closer to the bed.

"I didn't see a thing," he suddenly said, so quietly that she could hardly hear him. His eyes were already closed.

"We can talk about that tomorrow, Mac," Stella silenced him, putting her hand over his. "Danny and Flack are investigating the scene, whatever evidence or statements they will find will be processed over night. Tomorrow you can tell me what you remember, but for now, you really need to sleep. I don't wanna hear another word from you now, otherwise I will have to leave," she softly insisted.

"You're the boss," Mac mumbled sleepily, pain killers and soporifics slowly kicking in.

TBC

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**I'm thinking about doing another little Christmas fluff - you can help inspiring me by posting a few nice (hopefully *g*) words to this one - love to read your thoughts on what I came up with. More of this one soon, promise!**

**Take care! xxxlittlesheepxxx  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**I don't know why, for some reason I had the feeling that the reviewing was slower for the second chapter - but when I just checked to reply to everyone before updating, I noticed that wasn't the case at all. Just some who reviewed the first, but not second chapter - therefore once again some new names (Always very welcome! :-)) - You guys really rock! Thanks SO much for everything - picture a very broad smile on littlesheep's face in front of the monitor...**

**This chapter is my favorite of this story - it had been written over a year ago already, I just edited it a little and added some more cute stuff. And I added the song - once again the note:**

**Song featured here is "Through The Eyes Of A Child" by Reamonn (to be found in my profile if you would like to take a listen and see WHY this is such a perfect match for this story).  
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_Chapter Three_

The next morning

After a night with hardly any sleep next to Mac's bed at the hospital, Stella drove to the stable where the horse was about to be prepared for being transported to the clinic. Mac was still asleep and since she didn't want to wake him, she had written a short note so he wouldn't drive the clinic personnel crazy if he woke up and she was gone.

When she arrived, she saw a blonde woman with a little girl sitting on a bench opposite the horse's box. The girl looked sad and Stella could see from her face that she had cried. Her mother gently stroked her hair as she spoke to her. The girl absentmindedly looked over to the horse as Stella approached them. When she saw the veterinarian coming along the way, she signaled him to wait for a moment. He nodded and left again.

"Mrs. Como? I'm Detective Bonasera. May I talk to your daughter for a moment?" Stella asked as she reached the bench where mother and daughter were waiting.

The woman nodded and got up. She touched her daughter's cheek.

"I'll go and talk to Blue's doctor, I'll be right back with you, okay honey?"

The girl nodded. Stella sat down next to her.

"Hey there, I'm Stella. What's your name?" she asked softly.

"Emily..."

"Emily? That's a beautiful name," Stella smiled. Then she got more serious. "You know, Emily, a friend of mine has been hurt by a bullet."

"Like Blue?" the little girl asked, her gaze wandering from Stella to the horse and back.

"Like Blue," Stella confirmed, "he's at the hospital now and he is very sick."

"Oh..." Emily's expression grew serious.

"See, and we need to have the bullet that hurt Blue. When we have this bullet, we can do some tests and find out if the bullet that hurt my friend came from the same gun. And then we may be able to find out who the shooter was and arrest him for what he did. That is why we need to do the operation on Blue. Can you understand that?"

The little girl looked up to Stella.

"So the same bad man might have hurt Blue _and_ your friend?"

"Yes, that could be possible," Stella nodded.

"And he could hurt someone else if you don't find him?"

Stella nodded again.

Emily thought for a while, her small lips pressed together in concentration. Then she looked at Stella again.

"I love Blue very much. Do you love your friend?" she asked with all the seriousness a five year old child could express.

Stella looked at her in surprise. She hadn't been prepared for a question like this. Then she remembered that after all it was just a little girl asking. Nevertheless, she seriously thought about it for a moment.

"Yes, dear. I do," she admitted quietly. "And that's why I want to find out who did this to him, it's the only thing I can do for him at the moment..."

"But the doctors will help him, won't they?" Emily asked with honest concern in her voice.

"They will do their very best to make him better," Stella replied. "And so will the horse doctors for Blue. They will make sure that he's gonna be alright," she smiled at the girl.

Emily looked her straight in the eyes.

"Are you scared?" she asked.

Stella knew she needed to give her an honest reply, but at the same time confidence.

"Yes, Sweetie, I'm very scared. But we have to trust that everything will be good, right?"

The little girl nodded.

"Yes! And we can pray that God makes the doctors help Blue and your friend, can't we?" she expectantly asked.

"That's right, honey," Stella confirmed. "We can do that."

Emily kept looking at her for a moment. Then she nodded firmly, got up from the bench and over to the horse's box.

"Blue? Listen to me... You need to be a brave boy now, you need to help Stella's friend. Don't be afraid, Blue. It's gonna be fine, do you hear me?"

The horse pressed its nose against the door and snorted softly into Emily's face as if it wanted to show it had understood and agreed.

"He says it's okay," Emily said after she turned back to Stella who had watched the scene with a lump forming in her throat. She sent a quick prayer for the horse's safety upwards. It would be tough for the little girl if something happened to the animal during surgery. And she didn't even want to think about Mac at this moment.

XXXXX

Early evening at the hospital

Stella was standing at the window in Mac's room, light from the corridor shone through the open door. The light in the room was turned off except for a little lamp next to the bed. She looked out of the window, watching people down on the street walking in the light of street lamps, cars moving along in all directions, a man with a dog entering the park near the hospital. A nurse had told her that Mac had been taken to the x-ray room about 15 minutes ago when she had arrived.

She didn't hear them returning, but she knew he was there. When she turned around, she saw him sitting in a wheelchair, the light from the corridor behind him making it hard for her to see his face in the darkness of the room. The nurse who had brought him back had already left after Mac had told her he would be alright. Stella went over to him and pushed the chair inside, closing the door behind them.

"How's the horse?" Mac asked when they were alone.

"Looks very good, docs said he will fully recover," Stella informed him.

Mac slowly nodded. "That's good."

Stella sighed slightly. Yeah, that was good. She vividly remembered the overflowing happiness on Emily's face when they had watched the horse fighting to get up to its own four legs in the recovery box and when it had finally managed to balance himself again. 'Now the worst part is over, he should be fine very soon,' the vet had told them. Emily had beamed as if it were Christmas and her birthday on the same day.

"You look tired," Mac remarked after Stella had helped him back into bed and pulled the covers over his legs.

He had slept almost all day and already looked much better than he had the previous night. Yet he was still weak and the color of his face resembled that of the bed sheets.

"Didn't really sleep last night," she replied slowly. "How do you feel?"

"Better, I guess," he said. "My doctor is very satisfied with me."

"Does it hurt a lot?" Stella asked, gesturing at the bandage that covered his rib cage.

"Only when I'm laughing…" Mac returned.

Stella raised one eyebrow at his comment.

"In that case there's not much to worry about, hum?"

Mac gave her a questioning look, wondering what she had intended to say with this, but she didn't elaborate any further.

"What's in that bag?" he asked curiously, pointing at the paper bag that was sitting on top of Stella's jacket on the chair.

"I brought some cookies, I didn't have anything to eat since 10 a.m.," Stella replied warily.

"You gonna eat them all?" Mac pressed her carefully.

"You can't have cookies," she returned. "You just had major surgery, I'm not even sure if you are allowed to eat anything yet. Certainly not cookies…"

"So you would just let me starve?" he tried a whining tone. "I took a bullet in my side, but my stomach hasn't been hurt. It is hungry… and it would like a cookie," he added. "Or maybe two?"

Stella sighed with an eye roll, reached for the bag and took one cookie out. Then she handed the bag over to Mac and started eating her one cookie.

XXXXX

After the horse has been operated on successfully and Stella had stayed the whole time, Emily had wanted to see Stella's friend as well. Her mom had asked Stella if it would be possible and an hour after Stella's return to the hospital, Mrs. Como had dropped Emily off at Mac's room. She hadn't wanted to stay, but had told Stella she would pick her daughter up in a half hour.

After they had talked for a while, Emily suddenly smiled at Mac.

"You are a really nice man," she announced in all honesty.

"Thank you, Emily, that is very nice of you," Mac smiled back at her.

Emily nodded.

"I can really see why Stella said she loves you," she finished seriously.

-

_S__weet innocent child with your open eyes  
You've seen us for who we really are_

-

Stella blushed while Mac grinned to himself without looking at her. He was curious, secretly wondering if she was probably looking for a mouse hole to hide in. She was sitting in a chair at his side, but he wasn't able to see the expression on her face without turning his head.

"So… She _said_ that? What else did you girls talk about??"

-

_And I know that there'll be t__omorrow  
So that hope can have its glory day  
And I wish that this world would embrace you  
For magic stars and mystery  
My open heart_

-

TBC

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**So - say for yourselves: Do the lyrics match or what? And isn't it just too cute - Stella with the little girl? I just need to think about such moments and see photos of Melina and her cute girls and this stuff just writes itself SO easily :-)**

**Hope you liked it - let me know, please? Thanks once again - xxxlittlesheepxxx  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**You are sooo sweet! :-) Thanks for all the great comments, reviews and everything - hope you all had a wonderful Christmas (me personally, I like the time after Christmas better than the one before - because I don't have to work now ;-)). I'll reply to the reviews for chapter three tomorrow, just wanted to get the next one out so that everyone has something from it.**

**Not many more words - just once more the mention of the song "Through the Eyes of a Child" because in this chapter, there's the chorus, the actual part that made this song THE perfect StellaMac song (what was it with making things complicated?) - take a look!**

**Please read and review :-)**

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_Chapter Four_

Stella returned to the room after Emily and her mother had left. Mac was sitting in a chair next to the window, looking out into the inner courtyard of the hospital.

It was dark outside, but a lot of lanterns were lightening up the ways between lawn areas and trees. Because of the nice weather, there were still many people walking around. The light in the room was turned off when Stella entered through the open door. She quietly closed it and walked over to the window without turning the lights on.

Mac's breathing accelerated when he felt the touch of her hand on his shoulder. He wanted to say something. She was much too close to form any coherent thoughts, let alone put them into words. Stella smiled when she noticed he was struggling with his feelings and the question how to handle them. Or more likely rather how to hide them from her.

She sat down on the armrest of his chair, forcing him to put his arm around her to save her from sliding down. Leaning closer against him, she gave him another, encouraging smile.

Sparkling tension rose up in the dark room, the only light coming through the window from the lanterns in the hospital courtyard several floors down. All Mac could feel was her warm body against his, the feeling of the soft fabric of her shirt underneath his hands, the smell of her perfume touching his nose.

His mouth found the smooth skin of her neck all on its own and he knew things would never be the same between them. He would never again be able to see Stella as just a colleague, a good friend, a normal woman.

Because she wasn't. Maybe never had been for him.

He felt her breath against his hair and smiled. Nothing else in the world was more important than being next to her at this very moment. He wondered why it had taken so long to realize and finally admit it to himself and what would have happened if he hadn't been shot and Emily hadn't revealed what Stella had said to her. Even though he was aware that it hadn't been meant the way it sounded in the original context, yet it made a difference now.

-

_Why did we make it so hard  
This life is so complicated  
Until we see it through the eyes of child_

_  
Why did we make it so hard  
This life is so complicated  
Until we see it through the eyes of child_

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Stella didn't spend the night at the hospital, but returned first thing in the morning before heading to the lab and check on the investigations regarding Mac's shooting and the incident with Officer Velasquez and Blue. They had been told that the team was not supposed to be part of the investigation since one of their own was involved in it, but Stella knew that Mac wouldn't be able to rest if he didn't get first hand information around the clock.

Her plan was just to check on him to make sure he was doing okay and to ask if he needed anything that she could drop off during the day, but when she had found him awake, another discussion had started because Mac absolutely didn't want to stay at the hospital.

Men could be SO stubborn, sometimes he was driving her nuts. Most likely this was because the level of her own stubbornness was at least on the same level as his. So once again she was trying to convince him with arguments and reasoning why he would just _have_ to stay.

"Stella..." he finally managed to interrupt, "let me ask you just one thing…"

"What is it?" she paused.

"Would YOU stay here if you were in this situation?"

He expectantly looked at her, knowing the answer and knowing that she knew he knew it. She looked back, hesitating for just a second, knowing she couldn't lie.

"No."

"Thanks," he nodded with a satisfied smile.

"I'm gonna talk to the doctor when I get back," she promised him with a sigh of resignation. "And now, you should get some rest. You still look tired…"

XXXXX

Late in the afternoon, Stella returned to the hospital after her shift had ended.

"… but you can't stay at home alone," she figured after she had talked with Dr. Manning. "You need to rest, you are not allowed to get up and run around. One wrong move and your suture could tear open or even worse, your lung could collapse again. This isn't just a piece of cake, Mac. I hope you know that. This is serious. I'm gonna come over and get you something to eat and whatever you need until you are feeling better!"

"Stella... I can't let you do that," Mac objected. After seeing the look in her eyes, he quickly added "On the other hand... Thanks for your offer, sure it won't bother you?"

An eye roll in combination with a heavy, impatient sigh told him that this was not the case. And even if it was and she wouldn't admit it, now didn't seem a smart time for raising an objection.

He knew better than that.

XXXXX

Stella had been quiet along the ride to Mac's place and he could tell she disagreed with his decision to go home this early. And there seemed to be something else that was bugging her. She still wasn't over the shock and the whole situation seemed to affect her even more than it affected himself. She helped him settle down on the couch and went to the kitchen to make some tea.

"Stella… I'm sorry," he whispered when she had almost left the room.

Stella turned around on the threshold.

"You are _sorry_? You could have been _dead_."

"But I _am_ not. This is our job, Stella. We all know there is always a risk and we are willing to take this risk and—"

"No, Mac… this is your LIFE. And it's not worth risking that for the job," she interrupted him. "There is a point in everything were you need to stop it, even you."

"I love my job and I know well enough when to stop," he said, surprised by the vehemence in her statement. "And you are mad at me because you think that I don't?"

"Yeah right… What if it had been the other way around, Mac? What if he had wanted to see _me_ instead of you?" Stella insisted.

She was referring to Mac's earlier disclosure that he had followed an anonymous call in which the caller had told him he had information about the shooting of Officer Velasquez and had then asked Mac to meet him and to come alone.

"I wouldn't have let you go if you had told me about it," he admitted without hesitation.

He knew the moment the words left his mouth that it was like admitting she was right with everything she had said to him.

"Because you knew it was a dangerous and stupid plan from the beginning," Stella said.

It was a rhetorical question more than it was a statement.

He knew she wasn't expecting a comment or a reply from him on this. They both knew each other way too well. There was no need for elaborating this any further. Mac looked at her in silence; he knew that he had lost the discussion before it had even started.

What he had done had been stupid and risky and the reproach in her eyes was more proof than the stabbing pain at his side.

XXXXX

Stella's heart was beating slightly faster than the normal rhythm, but that was nothing compared to the pounding she felt underneath her hands when she helped Mac getting ready for bed. They were in the bathroom and she gently rubbed his back with a washcloth and some soap while he was sitting on the edge of the bathtub. She was almost afraid he might pass out because he seemed to have stopped breathing the moment she had first touched his naked skin while his heartbeat seemed to be almost twice the normal rate.

"You alright?" she carefully asked while her hand circled his back one last time before reaching for a towel to dry him off.

Mac nodded wordlessly, not completely trusting his voice to sound non-committal. He cleared his throat and took a breath without looking at her.

"This is somehow a little embarrassing…" he murmured. "I feel like an invalid. You really shouldn't have to—"

"Mac, YOU were the one who insisted on going home instead of staying at the hospital for a few days until you were able to get along on your own," Stella reminded him gently. "You knew that you wouldn't be able to take a shower or to stretch your arms so you could wash yourself or get dressed or undressed. You didn't _want_ to stay and let the nurses take care of you, now you're stuck with _me_," she smiled and patted his bare shoulder.

"That's it, we're done. Ready for bed?"

"Thanks, Stella," Mac mumbled, still not feeling totally comfortable with the situation, but on the other hand more than enjoying her thoughtful care.

"You think you can take care of yourself until tomorrow?" Stella asked after she had made sure that he had everything he needed close to the bed.

"I'll call if I need anything, I promise," he replied obediently.

When she walked towards the bedroom door in silence, a feeling of loneliness came over him. Mac was sure he could get along without help; he wasn't so sure he could stand being alone right now.

"Stella… Are you going to stay here?"

"I'll take the sofa," she said on her way out, knowing it wasn't good to leave him on his own in his current condition and relieved that he seemed to acknowledge that.

"I'm really sorry, Stella," Mac said quietly when she had almost closed the door.

"I know," Stella turned and smiled softly.

She slowly returned to the side of his bed and leaned in closer. Mac could feel her warm breath on his skin as she pressed a light kiss on his lips. This time, she looked into his eyes longer than necessary.

-

_I know you__, I've seen you're face before  
You brought me to this open door  
Afraid to walk through please take my hand_

_-  
_

"It must be my lucky week," he whispered.

"Sure… your near-death experience has no importance," she dryly returned.

"It was not _that much _a near-death experience, that's exaggerated," Mac objected.

"I'm not exaggerating, Mac. I just want you to feel guilty."

"Well… It's working."

"Good."

But she was smiling while she said it.

-

_And I know that there will be tomorrow  
So that hope can have this glory day  
And I wish that this world embrace you  
For magic stars and mystery  
My open heart_

_-  
_

TBC

* * *

**I did not completely forget about the Christmas fluffy I talked about earlier, it's just a little delayed. But likely to be posted not too far from now - hey, I just saw that a Christmas special of my current favorite novel series had been released on June 25... Can't go much further away from Christmas than that ;-) I promise I'll be closer to the actual event! Now it's your turn again - let me know what you think about this chappy please!**

**Thanks**

**xxxlittlesheepxxx  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry! I almost completely forgot to update ... My mind was some place else, wasn't my intention to keep you guys waiting for so long - my apologies and THANKS again to everyone who reviewed and/or put me or the story on alert or favorite. Love you :-)**

**Note: Some facts from the actual episode have been used, but altered to match my plot - so don't be confused if you remember them in a different way.  
**

-

_Chapter 5_

Stella had assigned herself to work nights so she could take care of Mac during the day. Or better yet make sure he wouldn't do anything stupid like trying to find out who had shot him on his own.

What she hadn't thought of was, now that he wasn't able to do anything himself and at the same time didn't dare argue about it with her, he would make her do some "minor" extra work in the few hours left between her shifts and the time she spent taking him to the hospital for checks or getting him things he asked her to buy for him.

Mac came into the kitchen, spotting Stella eating the muffin she had bought on her way back from work to his place where she had spent every night in the guest room since his release from the hospital.

They would spend the time watching TV or just talking, then Mac would go to his room while Stella stayed on the couch. Even though there was nothing happening beyond this, the situation started to feel slightly awkward to her and she wasn't so sure if it was such a good idea to stay much longer.

Meanwhile, the doctor had allowed Mac to get up and walk around in the house, but had strictly forbidden any form of physical activity beyond that. He was getting more and more restless without his usual daily exercises. Stella had always wondered how he found the time to go running and swimming every day, but he had only returned that she should try it and asked her to do some workouts with him once he was allowed to get back to training.

"Any idea how many calories are in that thing?" Mac joked as he walked over to the kitchen counter to help himself to some coffee.

"Mac Taylor!" Stella indignantly exclaimed.

"First you ask me to go to the gym with you and now you are you telling me that I need to watch my calories???" she shot him a warning look that made him very unsure if she was serious or just kidding.

They got interrupted by the ringing of Stella's cell phone.

"Bonasera!" she snapped into the mouthpiece.

"Everything okay with you?" Aiden asked, wondering if she might have chosen a bad moment for the call.

"Sure. Mac's just telling me that I'm getting fat and need to do something about it, but apart from that..." Stella explained with a wink to Mac who lifted his hands in a defensive gesture and gave her an innocent puppy eyed look.

After she had finished the call, Stella turned back to Mac.

"There was another murder, MO looks similar to your case. Could be the same shooter. They are processing the scene right now. Aiden said they might have found something interesting. I'll check it out first thing in the evening when I get back in and…"

"You really wanna wait until then?" Mac asked with a questioning look that indicated if he had a choice, _he_ would be out of the house within milliseconds.

Stella rolled her eyes and sighed, anticipating what was coming.

"Come on, Mac... I just worked a 14 hours night shift!" she exclaimed before he could say something. "Chief's gonna grill me if he finds out I'm working a case in my free time that neither one of us is supposed to be even anywhere near, in case there IS a connection to your shooting. On _your_ behalf. While _you_ are on sick leave and expected to be _OFF_ duty…"

"Please???"

Another one of those ingenuous looks, one corner of his mouth ever so slightly twitching.

Another eye roll countered the puppy eyes, then Stella got up and left without a word.

* * *

Forty-five minutes later, she was sitting next to Flack's desk at the precinct.

"Want some coffee?" he asked, pulling a mug out of his desk drawer.

Stella nodded thankfully. Maybe some more caffeine would drag her through another day without sleep.

"How much coffee did you have the last 12 hours?" Flack suspiciously asked after trying to make sense of what she was telling him for a while.

"Coffee?" Stella looked puzzled, starring sleepily into the half-filled mug in her hands.

"Got any sleep lately?" he questioned further, trying to get her attention.

"Sleep?"

"Stella..." he reminded her with a mixture of amusement and reproach. "You with me here?"

"I was at the hospital until 4 p.m. yesterday, took Mac there for some follow-up checks, then I went back to the lab because Mac had asked me to stay at his place and I knew I couldn't leave him alone in his condition and I needed to make sure he wouldn't do anything stupid so I decided to work nights for a while to be able to work while he was sleeping and take care of him during the day and then I returned after a fourteen hour shift this morning and then Aiden called and told me about the lead you got and then Mac practically begged me to get out again and check with you right away instead of waiting for the evening when my next shift starts and—"

Flack raised his eyebrows. He still couldn't make much sense of what Stella said and he wasn't even sure that there was a connection between all the fragments. He thought for a second and then took the coffee mug out of her hands.

"Hey!" Stella protested.

"NO more coffee for you! Go home and get some sleep!" he ordered in a friendly, but firm tone. "Mac will kill me if I don't take care of you here..."

"Are you kidding? Mac is the reason that I don't _get_ any sleep…" Stella complained, longingly looking at the coffee mug in Flack's hands.

Flack shook his head and put the mug on a shelf behind his chair. Then he raised his eyebrows at her last comment and gave her a very surprised look. Stella rolled her eyes and let out a deep sigh.

"Not like _that_… And now gimme back my coffee!" she ordered and tried to get past him to reach for the coffee mug again.

Flack gently pushed her back into her chair, raked around in his desk drawer and came up with a tea bag.

"No more coffee! You are more keyed up than the Energizer rabbit on ecstasy. You can have chamomile tea if you want," he offered, holding up the bag.

"Yuk. I pass," Stella returned, her nose wrinkled in disgust. "Just tell me what you got, I'll try to stay awake _thinking_ of coffee…"

Flack frowned slightly, put the tea bag back into his desk drawer and reached for a file from the stack on the right side of his desk.

"Victim's name is Willie Chancey, we suspect him to be the one who tried to shoot Mac," he started explaining. "Apparently his father got arrested couple of months ago and Mac was the lead CSI on the case. Two weeks ago, Chancey's father got killed in prison during a fight among the inmates and Willie blamed Mac for his dad being in there."

"So he wanted to take revenge?" Stella asked. "How does this connect to the murder of Officer Velasquez? Aiden said there might be a connection?"

"There is," Flack confirmed. "Turned out that Brown, the guy in whose apartment you found the rifle that turned out not to be the murder weapon, is Willie Chancey's uncle. That's how Willie got the idea with the sniper story."

"Mac was the target from the first moment," Stella quietly concluded.

Flack nodded.

"Why Velasquez?" she asked.

"Diversionary tactic," Flack replied. "They knew if they went after Mac, we eventually would have gone over his most recent cases to see who had a grudge against him and sooner or later would have found a connection to Willie. So they decided to make it look like a serial shooter who was after cops, maybe didn't even plan to kill Velasquez."

"Collateral damage," Stella snorted.

"Wrong place, wrong time," Flack agreed sadly.

"How did Chancey end up dead? What happened to him?"

"Just got the report before you arrived," Flack returned. "He was found in the trunk of a car. Bullets that killed him are a match to the one we found in the horse. Danny found a second rifle hidden in the car, ballistics confirmed that it was the murder weapon."

"Who shot him?" Stella wondered.

"That's the kicker," Flack smiled satisfied. "Rifle was wiped completely, no prints. The shooter just didn't wear his gloves when he slammed the trunk shut, we found a clear textbook print on the lid – 10 point match to Brown."

Stella's sleepy eyes widened in surprise.

"He killed his own nephew? Why that?"

"Not yet sure, but I suppose Chancey got cold feet. He must have freaked when he learned that Mac survived the shots, maybe even thinks Mac could identify him. Must have talked to Brown about it, that's when Brown decided he was too much of a risk."

"So it's over now?"

"Yeah. Brown has been arrested on the way to the airport, he's taken to the precinct as we speak."

Stella breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'll go and tell Mac," she said and got up to leave.

"Tell him I said 'hello and get better' – and you, get some rest," Flack smiled.

* * *

An hour later, Stella and Mac were sitting on the couch in his living room. She had told him what she had learned from Flack at the precinct and a few minutes ago, Danny had called her to tell her Brown had confessed to the murder of Officer Velasquez and confirmed the assumption that Willie Chancey had fired the shots on Mac in revenge for his father's death.

Now they were both lost in their own thoughts, until Mac broke the silence.

"You told Emily you loved me?" he stated in a questioning tone.

"Yeah, after she told me she loved the horse very much and asked if I loved my friend who got hurt, too," Stella replied almost defensively, completely caught off guard by the sudden change of subject.

Mac thought about the brightly shining eyes that Emily had when she talked about the horse.

"So you 'love' me like the little girl loves that horse? I can live with that…" he teased her with a wide smile.

Stella wasn't so sure he was just kidding, something told her this was getting serious and it scared her. Ever since Danny had called to tell her Mac had been shot, feelings had surfaced that both confused and scared her like hell. She had enjoyed being close to him, taking care of him, the intimate moments they had shared at the hospital and at his place when she helped him in the bathroom. But she wasn't sure if she was ready to go further, the intensity of her feelings freaked her out and the thought that she had been so close to losing him didn't help at all.

"I gotta go, Mac. I'll go back to the lab, take a shower and work the rest of the shift so that I can return to days starting tomorrow."

She got up and turned towards the door without looking at him. Mac looked after her in silence until the door had closed behind her.

This wasn't how he wanted things to go. There were open questions and he knew unless they talked about it to know for sure where they were standing, things could get very awkward between them.

-

_I see where we'll go from here  
Cause love doesn't break  
With the right amount of care  
In your hands is whom you've chosen to be  
Life is a freedom  
Now go out there and be free_

-

XXXXX

Stella was on her way to the elevator when her cell phone went off. She took it out of her pocket and her stomach clenched after a look at the display.

"Hey…" she answered the call quietly, stepping through the open doors.

"Can I invite you for dinner?" Mac asked softly. "To thank you for all you've done for me? I have some steaks here and I'll make fresh mashed potatoes and some Greek salad…"

His voice sounded soft, almost shy. No strings attached…

Stella knew it wasn't just an invitation for dinner. It wasn't just meant to thank her for her help. She knew she had to make a decision that would affect far more than just the plans for this very evening. Did she really think it would be a good idea and they both were ready for this?

It was a quick deliberation - the answer was 'No'.

The End?

* * *

**Oh-kay... I need your comments on this now. I was thinking about ending the story here. An untypical way for me, but I thought it might be a change from the usual. I asked my guinea pig reader and "editor" Mitch and he said it was okay. Until he read the chapter I would be able to add to this one (already finished) as final chapter. I can post this here, I can also edit it slightly and use it some place else. Let me know if you think the story should end here or if you think Stella would have accepted the invitation after all...**

**Thanks for everything! xxxlittlesheepxxx  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**Oops. Seems I hit a nerve ;-) I didn't actually mean to tease you with the ending of the previous (and possible last) chapter, I was honestly wondering after I had finished it if this should be the end to this story - as an alternative to the "happily ever after" stuff. Which I personally also definitely prefer and if I was the reader of such a story, I would have CHOKED the author - or maybe not, after all that would have made the chances for an update rather small *gg***

**Thanks a lot for all your great comments, I really appreciate that you wrote so much in your reviews and gave your detailed opinions as to why it could end like this, maybe shouldn't and that you would love an update. And here it is! I have to admit I had made up my mind before about posting it, but if the majority would have said the end was alright for a change, I might have reconsidered.**

**One final explanation because in some reviews it sounded as if it wasn't clear: Stella didn't SAY no to Mac. She was on her way to the elevator, stepped in, got the call and his invitation, the 'No' was what she was thinking at the end of the scene in answer to the question she had asked herself - so nothing lost yet.**

**Attention: I changed the rating for the final chapter to M for good cause! You get some fluff, but it's gonna be hot - fluffy might catch fire ;-)  
**

* * *

_Chapter 6_

Her better judgment told her not to go. But against this better judgment, Stella found herself knocking at Mac's door only half an hour later.

Mac opened the door and smiled at her.

"Thanks," he simply said while he gave her a brief hug and placed a light kiss on her left cheek.

Then he lead her into the living room after taking her jacket and putting it on the wardrobe in the corridor. Stella frowned slightly when she noticed that he had set the table for two. He had been convinced she _would_ show up after all.

Was she really this predictable?

The meal was great, Stella wasn't surprised since she knew Mac was a good cook. He had occasionally prepared something for them when they had been working on a case at his place late at nights, so had she when they had been at her place. But those had been work meetings. This was different.

Yet the conversation had been rather light and not tense as she had feared before. Friends having dinner together, enjoying each others company and having a good time.

As if…

Stella helped Mac to take the plates to the kitchen and do the dishes and before she got the chance to thank him and tell him she would go home now, he framed her with his arms and had her trapped against the kitchen counter.

"Don't go, I know you don't really want to," he whispered softly.

"I can't, Mac," she whispered in return, barely audible. "This is not good, we really shouldn't—"

Their eyes locked when she paused and looked up at him. For moments neither one of them spoke, but they both knew it was too late to retreat. It was almost like in the movies, one look too many, one moment too long.

Stella moved her arms around his neck as he leaned down and pulled him closer into a passionate kiss. Mac's left hand wandered from the kitchen counter to her hip while the right one started caressing her face before he started playing with her beautiful curls. He couldn't imagine for how long he had wanted to do this. His fingers started painting light patterns on her cheek, along her neck, down her side and on to her back.

Stella moaned quietly, her hands moving from the back of his neck to his chest, tracing his muscles from his upper torso along his shoulders and arms. When she got back to his chest, she slowly started unbuttoning his shirt, gently caressing every inch of skin that she revealed in the process. When she stopped, Mac opened his eyes with a sigh and looked at her questioningly.

Were there still doubts and insecurity in her eyes?

"Stella, you okay?" he softly asked.

"I… I really should go," she said slightly uneasily.

"Why?"

"I…" Stella hesitated. "It's been a really tough week and I had a long day and … I really need to get home and take a shower," she shrugged, causing him to almost burst out in laughter.

"That the only reason why you want to leave me here like this now?" he tried to find out.

When Stella didn't reply, he added "I got a pretty nice shower, you know? You can try it out if you want…"

There was more than a hidden suggestion in his voice and his darkened eyes said more than thousand words. He moved closer again, his body pressed against hers and she let him. There was no other place she'd rather be tonight and she knew she wouldn't go anywhere.

* * *

After slowly undressing each other, Mac reluctantly released Stella from his embrace and looked at her with a smile. She was beautiful. Perfect. The lovely smile on her soft lips and the fire and passion in her bright green eyes made his mind swirl. He leaned into the shower to turn the water on and adjusted the temperature, then he stepped in and held out his hand. Stella smiled back at him, took his hand and followed him.

He redirected the shower head and Stella leaned her head back to let the warm water flow over her hair and face, her eyes closed. Mac pressed his lips together as he watched the drops roll down across the curves of her amazing body. He took a wash cloth from the shelf in the corner of the shower, put some soap on it and placed it on her back to return the favor she had given him after his return from the hospital. Starting at her neck and shoulders, he moved slowly down to her arms and hands, leaving a bubble trail behind where he had already been.

Stella's eyes closed again when he returned to her back, softly caressing it in wide circles, slowly going lower and lower until he reached the small of her back. He paused briefly before he continued his work on her legs, first traveling down one side, the up the other. Her legs started trembling as he went up along her inner thighs.

"Turn around," Mac said quietly, putting the wash cloth aside.

His lips met hers when she faced him. Stella felt his tongue gently sliding into her mouth, their lips melted together, tongues passionately playing with each other while his hands slowly slid down her sides to her breasts, carefully cupping and pressing them before traveling on to her firm, but smooth belly. She held her breath for a moment when his hand moved lower, touching her most sensitive area and gently rubbing it for just a second. He smiled as he felt her knees trembling and heard a soft moan coming from the back of her throat. One finger softly pushing in deeper, he held her with the other hand at her back against his body. After what seemed like an eternity to her, he curled his finger slightly inside her and then carefully pulled it out and kissed her again.

Stella smiled playfully at him, her hands now tracing the wet muscles on his chest. Slowly, very slowly she continued her way down, carefully avoiding the scar that was left from the surgery to remove the bullet. A waterproof band-aid was supposed to keep most of the water during a shower from the wound, it would have to be replaced each time, but it would allow normal water contact without risking anything. After she had worked her way around the critical zone, she stopped briefly. After another deep and longing look into his eyes, she closed his mouth with another intense kiss as she took him into her warm and wet hands, gently starting to caress him. Sensing the reaction of his body, she grasped him more firmly, her movements getting faster up and down his entire length until he gasped breathlessly and reached for her wrists.

"Wait!" Mac breathed. "I can't … can't stop … if you go on like this …"

He turned her around again and Stella smiled at him over her shoulder. Then she leaned slightly forward, pressing her hands against the opposite wall in the shower. She moaned out loud when she felt his hand between her legs, slowly caressing her in one long and intense movement to make sure she was ready for him. Mac felt his body shake in excitement in response to her reaction. He pressed himself close against her, then he entered her softly, causing her to gasp with pleasure and arousal. He pulled back out almost completely just as slowly, rubbing himself against her one more time before pushing in again.

Stella sighed in satisfaction as she felt him move inside her, feeling every inch of him pushing in and pulling out again and again. She reached behind her back, pulling him as deep as he could get.

"Please…" she whispered pleadingly.

Mac started to move faster and slightly harder, his hands holding on to her hips for support as he pushed deeper and deeper. When he saw that Stella's hand moved down between her legs, starting to caress herself, his thrusts increased even more, finally pushing her over the edge. He waited until the shaking of her body calmed down, then he let go into his own release.

"Oh my God… Mac…" Stella moaned when she felt the pressure of his climax mix with the aftershock of her own.

His arms tightly wrapped around her body, he kissed the side of her neck below her right ear as she collapsed against him. His fingers lazily traced along the undersides of her breast and over her stomach.

"Still wanna go home?" he whispered into her ear.

* * *

Mac smiled widely when he entered the bedroom the next morning with a tray filled with everything needed for a nice breakfast in bed. Stella was still sound asleep, the blanket pulled up to her nose.

"Good morning!" he whispered softly into her ear after placing the tray onto the nightstand next to the bed.

"Doubtful…" she mumbled in return, owing to the fact that it was still pretty early. She wasn't exactly the classic early riser. "Why are you up?"

"Because it's morning," he smiled, amused by her grumpy mood.

"What's this?" she motioned to the food with her eyes still half closed.

"Breakfast," he replied matter-of-factly.

Stella tried to pull the blanket over her head with a disapproving sound.

"Hmpf!"

"The most important meal of the day," Mac explained with a chuckle, trying to pull at the blanket.

"I don't believe that's been scientifically proven," the blanket grumbled in return.

Underneath the blanket, Stella was smiling.

She hadn't felt this good and so very, very comfortable and safe in a very, very long time. She sighed deeply. Maybe it hadn't been all that bad to come back after all. Maybe they were ready and just needed to get a little time to get used to it. And where was the harm in spending the time until then together? Her smile deepened when she felt Mac crawling back under the comforter, gently wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into a tight embrace. Maybe life wasn't as complicated as she had thought. The last couple of days had changed a lot.

Thanks to a bullet, a horse and a little girl.

-

_Why did we make it so hard  
This life is so complicated  
Until we see it through the eyes of child_

_-  
_

The End

* * *

**Now, THIS is really the end here ;-) Liked this better than the story ending at the previous point? I hope so! Please let me know, will you? An already happy sheep says THANKS IN ADVANCE! You guys have been wonderful to the baby!**

**You might have noticed that Christmas is already over and I decided not to go for Christmas fluff for the past season anymore, but instead I will get back to "As Time Goes By" which I left almost exactly a year ago around Valentine's Day and will try to continue where I stopped then - please go and re-read the first parts and wait for an update, it WILL come! *promise***

**Thanks for everything! xxxlittlesheepxxx**


End file.
